Chocolate enrobing: Process and advantages

Enrobing is a process that involves covering a confection or snack with chocolate, whether it is dark, milk or white chocolate, or chocolate coatings. Traditionally, this process was slow and involved manually dipping the pieces into melted chocolate by hand.

This process is to provide a delicious coating of chocolate on products such as pretzels, chips, peanuts, popcorn, cookies and peanut brittle.

Enrobing can be carried out with chocolate or compound coatings (compound coating is a replacement product made from a combination of cocoa, vegetable fat, and sweeteners). Enrobing can also be done with caramel, sugar icing and fondant.

A skillful chocolatier will ensure that a thin layer of chocolate is left on the chocolate, with no pooling of chocolate at the base of the chocolate.

Enrobing of a product starts with a product on the feed band; the enrober maintains the chocolate at a constant temperature ensuring a homogeneous mass, pumps it into a flow pan. The chocolate then flows from the pan into a chocolate curtain, completely coating the products passing through. The excess coating is removed by vibration or air drying.

The thickness of the coating can be regulated, A common process is to pass products under a current of air. This removes excess coating which can be recycled.

Through covering the centre with chocolate or compound coatings, the shelf-life of the product may be extended. This is primarily applicable to centers that, if not covered, could be prone to moisture uptake/loss, oxidation, or microbial spoilage.

Other benefits of enrobed chocolates:
*Thin Crisp Covering to the chocolate.
*Allows multiple ways of decorating the chocolate; fork marks, cocoa butter transfers, herbs, spices, gold leaf etc.
Chocolate enrobing: Process and advantages 

Enrobing process of chocolate

Chocolate assortments, confectionary bars coated with chocolate and chocolate cookies and cakes are all manufactured by coating process known as chocolate enrobing.

By completely covering the center with chocolate, the shelf-life of the product may be extended. This primarily applicable to centers that, if no covered, could be prone to moisture loss, oxidation or microbial action.

Enrobing can begin as soon as the centers have been sufficiently air-dried. Chocolate must be well tempered because over-tempering will create thick coating and will make revoking excess chocolate more difficult.

Normally the thickness and form of the coat are controlled by blowing off the excess mass using air and then vibration.

The quality of the temper should be closely monitored to ensure a thin, even coating of chocolate.

Molding gives a more obvious gloss to the finished product, whilst enrobing can cope with complex shapes and gives a soft and pleasing finish to the article.

Originally enrobing machine was introduced for chocolate coating; it now is also used for cream coating and caramel coating.
Enrobing process of chocolate